Every football team needs a leader—a player who steps up when it counts and guides the rest of the group to victory. This season, as I watch the Southern Miss football team, I find myself drawn to picking two players who will embody that role. I’m looking for those who will take charge and become the driving forces behind the team’s success, the players I’ll be “driving the bus” for.
To “drive the bus” means to support and rally behind these players, recognizing their potential to lead the team through the ups and downs of the season. After covering the team through fall camp, I’ve decided on two players—one on offense and one on defense—who I believe will lead the team to the heights they aspire to reach.
I’m on their bus, and I believe they will be the highlights of both squads on offense and defense.
The two players I’ll be driving the bus for this season are Larry Simmons on offense and Will James on defense.
Larry Simmons on Offense
I’m picking Simmons and boarding his bus for two reasons. First, the wide receiver room had a lot of questions coming into the season. There was uncertainty about who the quarterbacks could rely on, let alone who would take charge in that group.
Southern Miss head coach Will Hall recognized this and brought in two SEC wide receiver transfers: Dannis Jackson and Simmons. Hall had been asked all summer and spring about his wide receiver room, and after the second fall scrimmage on Saturday, he noted that he knew the ceiling for both players but waited to see it.
“We had to wait, but we knew they were really good players,” Hall said. “They were highly recruited guys.”
Simmons, an Ole Miss transfer, had two catches for 38 yards in the scrimmage on Saturday and an 11-yard run on a jet sweep. He also showed off his arm, finding Kyirin Heath in the back of the end zone for a two-point conversion.
Simmons has absolutely flashed during camp. In the first week alone, he made several deep ball catches with his speed, and he’s really sharpened his ability to catch the ball and run where he needs to.
“We are really excited about him,” Hall said. “When we knew we were in line for him, I told Coach Lindsey to go all in, whatever we needed to do. And he did, and Larry and Coach Lindsey have really connected.”
Simmons also has a young son named Shine, and being at Southern Miss allows him to be near his son while contributing to a Division I team.
I think he will be a vital part of the passing game, and I predict he will either lead or be second on the team in receiving yards.
Will James on Defense
The secondary has brought a lot of question marks to this defense that reporters didn’t expect. However, those concerns aren’t because of James. James has had one of the most surprising fall camps out of anyone, and at the final scrimmage, he may have put together his most impressive day yet.
Not to mention the Superman slogan that he and his teammates came up with after his pick-six in the scrimmage and the multiple interceptions he’s had in camp.
When he came over for media interviews, his teammates shouted, “IT’S A BIRD. IT’S A PLANE. NO, IT’S WILL JAMES!”
He has shown it all camp, but on that pick-six, you really saw the potential of what Will James can be. It wasn’t a bad read from Crawford, but rather just a great play from James, who jumped the route like a pro cornerback and took it to the house.
“[It] was a great play by Will James,” Hall said. “It wasn’t a bad read; it was the right read based on the coverage. Will just jumped the route and made a play.”
He’s been doing it all camp, and with all the questions in the secondary, I have a feeling we’ll be calling his name a lot this season. That’s why I’m on his bus.
Now, with 14 days left, the question is: whose bus are you on? Let me know in the comments.
